Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attacked a Maersk container vessel, prompting the global shipping company to pause all sailing through the Red Sea for 48 hours, it said on Sunday.
Key points:
- The US military says Houthi militants attacked the Maersk Hangzhou vessel in the Red Sea on Saturday
- US Navy helicopters destroyed three of four small boats used by the militants to attack the vessel, with the fourth escaping
- The militants have been targeting ships in the Red Sea to show support for Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza
The attack was the latest by Houthi militants in Yemen, who have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea to show their support for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.
US Navy helicopters sank three of four small boats used by the militants to attack the Maersk Hangzhou vessel in the southern Red Sea late on Saturday, the US military said.
The crew onboard the Maersk ship reported a flash on deck at around 6:30pm local time, when the vessel was 55 nautical miles south-west of Al Hodeidah, Maersk said.
Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, responding to distress calls from Maersk Hangzhou, returned fire on the Houthi boats in self-defence and sank three of the vessels, with no survivors, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X.
The fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said.
The Maersk Hangzhou crew was safe and there was no indication of fire onboard the vessel, which was fully manoeuvrable and continued its journey north to Port Suez, Maersk said.
The Singapore-flagged vessel with capacity to carry 14,000 containers was en route from Singapore.
Reuters